Open doors and open communities

On 18 February two Islington mosques took part in the national #VisitMyMosque day and opened their doors to people from all walks of life.

Finsbury Park Mosque and Muslim Welfare House welcomed hundreds of visitors, giving them a chance to learn about Islam and how a mosque works.

A recent YouGov poll found that 90 per cent of British people haven’t been inside a mosque. Mohamed Kozbar, Chairman of Finsbury Park Mosque, said he values the opportunity to “give members of the local community an engaging insight into the life of the mosque, promote greater understanding of Islam and to build bridges between faiths and communities.”

The #VisitMyMosque day took place less than two weeks after Darren Osbourne
was sentenced for the terrorist attack on Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park last
summer.

Toufik Kacimi, Chief Executive of Muslim Welfare House, said: “After being
subject to such a callous attack, the congregation at Muslim Welfare House can take
some consolation in the verdict reached.”

Islington’s diverse, welcoming and tolerant community has repeatedly shown that it
will not be divided by hate. Hundreds of people laid flowers outside Muslim Welfare
House in the days following the attack and 1,000 people attended the Solidarity
Street Iftar outside Finsbury Park Mosque.